What Is a Veterinary Technician?

If you love animals and care about their health and well being, working in a vet clinic can be a lot of fun and make your work a blast! One way to get into the veterinary industry is to become a Veterinary Technician. Not sure what that is? Here’s the answer:

What Is a Veterinary Technician?

Veterinarians often rely on others to help them with the many things that they have to do heal animals. A Veterinary Technician is one example of those who work alongside a Vet. Technicians perform treatments and laboratory testing, among other tasks, which frees the doctor to diagnose problems and form treatment plans.

What Do Vet Techs Do?

Veterinary Technicians are trained in a wide variety of disciplines. A few examples include: surgical assisting, anesthesia administration and monitoring, collecting and testing laboratory samples, and educating pet owners on nutrition and preventative care. These are only a few of the areas that Vet Techs have knowledge in, but they are key in the healing process of the animals that need special care. By becoming a Vet Tech, you become an important component in the treatment process of animals.

How to Become a Veterinary Technician

First, you should be an animal lover and enjoy working with animals. This is the most important part of becoming a Vet Tech, considering you will be around animals all day. If you love animals and want to work in the veterinary industry, your next step is to go to a school to become a Vet Tech. Trade schools, like Pittsburgh Career Institute, offer Veterinary Technology programs that you can enroll in. Upon graduation from PCI, you will have earned an Associate’s in Specialized Technology degree and you should be prepared to begin your career in an entry-level Vet Tech position.

What Can I Learn in School

At Pittsburgh Career Institute, the courses are designed to help teach you how to provide humane and competent care for the emotional and physical well-being of animals. You can work in the on-campus lab and gain experience with x-ray and surgical equipment. Students also get to visit animal shelters, farms, animal clinics, and animal hospitals to receive clinical instruction. By traveling off-campus to see what working as a Vet Tech is like, our students are able to enter the workforce with real-world knowledge of what a job as a Vet Tech entails. The knowledge and experience that students gain in school is an integral part of becoming a successful Vet Tech.

Where Do Vet Techs Work?

Becoming a Vet Tech can open many doors for career possibilities. A wide range of facility types offer animal care: from your local Veterinarian that treats family pets, to a Veterinarian that specializes in treating livestock or farm animals, they are all in need of skilled Vet Techs to provide assistance. Just a few of the places that a Vet Tech could find employment include:

Veterinarian practices

Zoos

Animal shelters

Animal hospitals & clinics

Equine facilities

Veterinary sales and supply companies

And many more

Industry Outlook

Another great characteristic of working as a Vet Tech is the fact that the industry is growing rapidly. The Bureau of Labor and Statistics reports that Vet Tech job growth is expanding much faster than the average for all other occupations. So if you have been thinking about going to school to become a Vet Tech, there can be great career paths for you to pursue.

Getting Started

Now that you know a little bit more about what a Vet Tech is and what it takes to become one, check out Pittsburgh Career Institute. Our Veterinary Technology program is ready for you. We can help you get started on working toward a new career in an industry that you could love! Contact us to learn more about our program, and let us answer any questions you may have. We are excited to be a part of your future!